Italy's President Sergio Mattarella has demanded urgent clarification from the justice ministry regarding a presidential pardon granted to Nicole Minetti, a former TV showgirl and close associate of late ex-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The pardon, issued in February on "extraordinary" humanitarian grounds, has sparked a widening scandal after an investigation by Il Fatto Quotidiano newspaper raised questions about its legitimacy.
Minetti, 44, was convicted of procuring prostitutes for Berlusconi's notorious "bunga bunga" parties and embezzlement, receiving a suspended sentence of nearly four years. The pardon was approved primarily because Minetti and her partner were caring for a child they adopted in Uruguay with severe health issues. However, the newspaper alleges irregularities in the adoption process and misleading information in the pardon request.
Specifically, Il Fatto Quotidiano claims Minetti described the child as abandoned at birth, though court documents show both parents are alive but impoverished. The paper also reports that the couple took the boy to the United States for treatment after medical consultations in Italy, but no record of those consultations has been found.
Milan prosecutors confirmed Tuesday that Interpol has been contacted as part of an investigation into false declarations surrounding the pardon. The scandal comes at a politically sensitive time for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose government is already struggling after losing a recent referendum on judicial reform. Justice Minister Carlo Nordio faces calls from opposition MPs to resign.
Minetti denies any wrongdoing. In a statement through her lawyer, she called the newspaper's claims "unfounded and seriously damaging to my personal and family reputation."
The justice ministry's deputy, Francesco Paolo Sisto, dismissed accusations of negligence, saying the need for further scrutiny stems from "not entirely proper conduct" by Minetti, not errors by the ministry. He stated that a new investigation will determine whether the revelations "fundamentally undermine" the pardon.
Minetti, a qualified dental hygienist, first entered Berlusconi's orbit in 2009 when she treated him after an attack at a rally. He later helped her win a seat as a regional councillor in Lombardy. She became notorious for her role in the "bunga bunga" parties, including picking up a 17-year-old dancer known as "Ruby" from police custody at Berlusconi's behest. Berlusconi was initially convicted of paying for sex with Ruby, but the verdict was overturned on appeal.
"The president does not probe cases for clemency but relies on guidance from prosecutors and the ministry," opposition MPs noted, accusing Nordio of dragging the head of state into a scandal.